Chapter 61

I swing the sword.

The blade feels heavier than ever before.

My vision is tinted red.

With each exhale, my thoughts fragment.

Is this boiling emotion anger or guilt?

My judgment fades, and my shoulders feel like they might break.

With each step, I face my sins.

With each monster I slay, the corpses mock me.

I know, it’s all my fault.

Do you think it’s okay because there’s still time? There’s a limit to complacency!

I can’t deny it.

This disaster is my responsibility.

I know, I know.

I know even if you don’t say it.

So—

**Shut the hell up, you damn sword!**

…

What did I just say?

I think I shouted something… I don’t know.

Maybe I inhaled too much smoke. My mind is a mess.

Let’s not dwell on it.

I look up at the darkened sky and breathe in the heat-filled air.

The acrid smoke fills my chest.

—

How many more did I cut down?

I don’t know. Where am I? Why was I doing this again?

My mind spins, my vision swirls and flips.

The screams of people, the roars of beastmen—none of it reaches me anymore.

Only laughter echoes, pounding in my boiling head.

Everyone is clutching their stomachs, laughing.

Giggling, as if they’ve gone mad. With hollow eyes.

The beasts approach.

Or am I approaching them? I don’t know. My head is dizzy and numb from inhaling too much smoke.

I swing my sword at them.

A monstrous roar erupts.

A spray of blood, and the beasts are torn apart.

Piece by piece.

Piece by piece.

Dozens of limbs roll on the ground, mingling together.

Are they human or beast?

They shouldn’t mix, but once cut apart, I can’t tell the difference.

So I keep cutting.

“You… monster!”

A beastman charges at me, roaring.

Its furry arm raises sharp claws.

Not a lowly beast, but a strong half-blood warrior.

I’ll crush it.

**The culprit.**

My left hand pierces its face, and the beast screams like a pig.

Is it a pig beastman?

No answer comes. What a shame. I was a bit curious.

A face with a hole is useless, even if the mouth remains.

I kick it away and pull out my hand.

Its crushed brain and spinal cord cling to my fingers.

Disgusting.

The stench of rot makes me shake off its remains.

The smell is overwhelmingly foul.

No, I was dizzy even before I smelled it.

Staggering, I press on.

—

The world is filled with corpses.

Corpses I made. Corpses I will make.

They all gather and stare at me.

Human eyes are blue; beast eyes are yellow.

Countless gazes roll on the ground.

Judging me, glaring at me.

Stop. Don’t look at me like that. Please.

Why? Instead of screams, laughter bursts out.

As I laugh, they laugh too.

Everyone laughs joyfully.

Yes, laugh like that.

Don’t glare at me. Don’t interrogate me.

I’m not bad.

I’m not bad, I tell you!

How was I supposed to know this would happen!

It’s my fault.

No, it’s not my fault! It’s not!

Then whose fault is it?!

“Damn Empire bastards!”

In my tilted vision.

A massive beast roars and charges at me.

Enemy.

Instinct raises my claws.

Guilt and self-loathing fade, replaced by hatred.

**Ah, there you are!**

The beast’s blood-soaked maw opens wide as it pounces.

Between its sharp teeth, human flesh glistens.

Endless rage burns like wildfire.

**See, they’re the bad ones.**

The longsword in my grip trembles with killing intent.

**These are the ones who deserve to die!!**

A blue light slashes through the air.

Chunks of flesh rain down like a storm.

—

I’m thirsty.

I drink the pouring blood.

There’s no water here.

Only the flickering flames.

I gulp down the metallic liquid filling my mouth.

The lukewarm fluid slides down my throat.

Sweet, yet horrifying.

My body regains vitality as it absorbs the moisture.

Like quenching red-hot steel, my melting brain slowly cools.

And so, sadly, my sanity returns.

“Cough! Cough! Ugh…!”

My lungs, filled with ash and smoke, expel black coughs.

How long has it been?

I was running to find Damien, then fighting again.

Running, then fighting.

Then, gradually, the heat and smoke clouded my mind…

And now, this.

I don’t look human. Not even like a beast.

A shape molded from blood and guts, roughly resembling a person.

That’s what I’ve become.

Did I run through the city like this?

It’s a miracle I wasn’t mistaken for a monster and attacked.

Are the blessings wearing off? The holy light flickers like dying fireflies.

I try to wipe my face but give up. My hands can’t clean this blood.

Rubbing blood with blood is pointless.

I shake off the guts clinging to me like ropes. The stench is unbearable.

Even the sword in my hand is coated in gore.

I swing it to shake off the blood and fat.

A cold blue light flashes again.

Good. At least I’ve regained my senses.

It’s not time to go berserk. I need to find Damien first.

The city still burns.

Though the flames seem weaker than before.

The screams have lessened. Did they survive? Or are they all dead?

I don’t know. I don’t want to know.

—

I run through the city again.

My sense of smell is useless. Everywhere reeks of burning.

I have to rely on instinct to find him.

“Ahhh!”

A scream.

My steps halt. My body turns, and I sprint toward the sound.

Dozens of buildings flash by in an instant.

The momentum leaves a trail of blood in the air.

Like a comet with a red tail.

I found them.

Five people. Two in academy uniforms. Two students and three civilians?

Survivors. There are still people.

I feel relief, and my own cowardice disgusts me.

…It’s not the time to be drowning in self-blame.

Turn your eyes to confirm the enemy.

Two beastmen. Mixed blood. Warriors. Militia.

Two beasts were extending their claws towards the crouching people.

Those damn beasts.

Pushing off the ground, I charge forward with all my might.

Ripples like concentric circles form on the ground, then shatter like glass.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

Everything in my vision stretches into lines.

The air hits my body like a hammer.

The enemy’s figure comes right before my eyes.

A startled beastman raises a thick blade like a shield.

It doesn’t matter.

I’ll pierce through. No matter what stands in the way.

I thrust out my clenched left hand.

As if praying, I pour my unwavering resolve into my fingertips.

Something seeps into my extended fist.

Something indescribable.

—

No sound was heard.

The upper body of the beastman exploded like a blizzard.

—

No one could speak.

Understanding what just happened before their eyes was impossible.

Even for me.

The beastman beside me stared blankly at the remains of what was once his kin, his eyes wide with terror.

A pale flash swept across his waist.

The upper body of the beastman slid off, bidding farewell to its lower half.

The spray of blood extinguished the flames behind.

The holy light of blessing completely faded.

A sense of exhaustion, as if all my strength had been squeezed out, made my knees buckle.

“Ugh…!”

I force myself to hold on.

This much is nothing.

Just a little loss of strength, that’s all.

“Huh? Wha… what?”

The people who turned around couldn’t even speak properly.

They looked half out of their minds.

“First-year, Magic Department, right? Snap out of it!”

I lightly shook a student’s shoulder.

If I slapped their cheek to wake them up, their head might fall off.

“Ah, uh, what… Ka`har?”

Fortunately, they seemed to recognize me.

The boy trembled but managed to stagger to his feet.

Now I see, it’s the young mage I sparred with before.

His youthful face was pale with fear.

“Have you seen Damien and Milia?”

“Damien? Ah, the Swordsmanship Department… They went that way…!”

The boy pointed somewhere with a trembling hand.

Northeast, perhaps. Focusing my mind, I sensed numerous presences.

Beastmen and students.

They were still fighting over there.

That was a relief.

At that moment, a loud rumble echoed from that direction.

The startled boy flinched.

Over there, a building was collapsing.

Damien.

Milia.

A sense of crisis stirs my heart.

This wasn’t destruction that ordinary warriors could cause.

There must be a great warrior there.

Even Nigel would barely be a match for them.

As if being dragged underground, the blood drained from my face.

I had to hurry.

“Take those people and return to the academy!”

“What? What about you!”

No time to answer. I turn and run.

I had to protect the protagonist of this world.

I had to protect my friends.

Damien, Milia. Just hold on a little longer. I’m coming right now…!

Don’t die.

—

Just a few kilometers.

That distance felt impossibly far.

Enemies endlessly blocked the way.

I couldn’t just ignore them and run.

Passing them by would mean leaving the crouching students to die.

So I swung my sword, cutting down every beastman in my path.

Protecting everyone I saw.

A sweet smell wafted from my mouth. My arms trembled. My legs felt heavy, as if shackled.

My strength was fading. My overworked body screamed in protest.

But the sword didn’t stop.

With each pale arc drawn in the air, beastmen fell, spurting blood.

No one before me could withstand a second strike.

It was strange.

My body grew weaker, but my slashes became sharper.

The tough flesh of beasts, the sturdy steel weapons, all were cut like paper.

Axes, greatswords, spears—all were sliced through.

A faint golden light mixed into the blue afterimage.

The emblem on the blade began to glow.

How many had I cut down? How many had I saved?

I stopped counting after fifty.

I couldn’t waste the energy to keep track.

I emptied my mind, thinking only of two things.

Kill the beastmen.

Move forward.

Only that.

—

Finally, the end was in sight.

—

A clearing now turned to ruins, filled with debris.

A black panther coldly looked down at a kneeling boy.

Holding a longsword, ready to strike at any moment.

The boy, leaning on a broken greatsword, glared at her, breathing heavily.

His body, staggering, was covered in gruesome wounds.

And beside the boy.

A green-haired girl lay collapsed.

Clutching a broken bow.

Motionless on a pool of blood.

Something snapped, and my mind burned.

“You damn beast!”

I’ll kill you.

I charged at the enemy, swinging my sword like lightning.

– Kaaang!

My full-powered strike was blocked.

Two longswords clashed, sparks flying.

The black panther, who had been looking at me curiously, now wore a surprised expression.

“Ah, that girl. The top priority. The female of Ka`har.”

“Yes! I am Ha-shal-leur Ai-shan Gi-or!”

My repeated strikes were blocked. Again. And again.

The sound of metal clashing echoed.

Every attack was deflected.

In both strength and speed, the opponent was superior.

They had the upper hand.

“Kuh…!”

“Your spirit is commendable, but you seem quite tired.”

The black panther bared its teeth and smiled.